Inside and Out Read online

  Inside and Out

  by Stephanie Taylor

  Published by Clean Reads

  www.cleanreads.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.

  INSIDE AND OUT

  Copyright © 2015 STEPHANIE TAYLOR

  ISBN 978-1-62135-419-2

  Cover Art Designed by AM DESIGNS STUDIO

  Cover Model ROB BIERMAN

  For my very own “Jolie” (Jillian),

  who never sees age, color or handicap.

  You make me a better person and

  shine your light so bright it blinds me.

  You’re beautiful. Inside and out.

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to Jessica Walker for editing this on such a time crunch. Your edits made this story shine. I’ve been doing this for many years, but I’ve never had an editor who understood my writing the way you do. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it here in a more official capacity.

  You complete me.

  Thanks to Rob Bierman, who posed for his photographer during two separate sessions just to get the right shot. It’s been an honor to feature you on your very first cover, not only for a book I’ve written but also for Clean Reads. And thanks for putting up with all of my annoying texts. This was a ton of fun! Just remember us little guys when you’re famous.

  Oh, the places you’ll go!

  Thanks to Gail Delaney, my frenemy (but mainly just friend) at Desert Breeze Publishing who never realized she had anything to do with this. You sent me one of your own books a few months ago that featured an older heroine and younger hero, which spawned the foundation of this short story. I could never dream to tell a story as fascinating and remarkable as your parents’ love story, but I did have fun writing something a little different.

  I hope you Feel My Love.

  Chapter One

  Liam’s soft green-eyed gaze, shadowed underneath a black cowboy hat, caused Cora to shift her weight uncomfortably against the doorframe. The family reunion needed to end soon or she’d make her excuses and leave. She couldn’t stand being in the same room with him, not when he looked at her like that. It made her all too aware of his good looks and his relentless pursuit.

  She cleared her throat and pushed away from the door. Cora lowered her gaze and wove her way back to the master bedroom of her aunt’s home, walking straight into the bathroom. She swung the door closed and pushed until she heard it click, willing her swarming emotions to disappear. Only it didn’t work. He was under her skin so deep she dreamed about him at night.

  Pouring some cool water, she then bent and sipped it from her cupped hand and splashed a little on her neck, careful not to ruin her makeup. Nothing about her could look out of place in front of Liam. Not a single eyelash.

  As she brought her head up, she examined herself in the mirror. Liam insisted she was beautiful, but the only person staring back at her was an aging, overweight hot mess with the beginnings of crow’s feet, a lined forehead and thinning hair. Her twin boys were nine now and her oldest was fourteen and all her major life milestones had been met. She’d graduated high school and college, gotten engaged then married, and had all the children she’d ever planned to have. She’d even managed to get a divorce, a milestone she’d never wanted to meet.

  Now it was time to get gray and die.

  She shook her head at her jaded thoughts. She could hear Liam’s voice telling her to wake up and live a little. But the problem was she’d never lived and likely never would. Far too many years of her life had been spent for others.

  Cora didn’t regret that aspect of things. Not one little bit. But she did resent trusting a man for fifteen years before realizing he wasn’t whom she’d fallen for at eighteen. And the woman Cora had found in their bed wasn’t whom he’d fallen in love with at eighteen, either.

  Her reflection squinted. Funny, but she didn’t recognize the person looking back at her. She’d fallen asleep at eighteen and awakened a thirty-four year old with three children, stretch marks and a scar running deep into her soul. Nothing about her resembled the girl she used to be. Nothing inside or outside.

  Taking another sip of water, she then turned off the stream and inhaled. Facing Liam again, along with the way he looked at her, made her feel young all over again. Beautiful. Sexy. But it was never long before reality crashed down. She was thirty-four. He was twenty-five. And she was far too tired to be a cougar.

  Resolved, Cora opened the door with one hand as she straightened her shirt with the other. She went to step through the doorway when she ran into a solid wall of muscle that smelled like sunshine after the rain. And he wore a black cowboy hat.

  As she stumbled, Liam’s fingers wrapped around her arm and hauled her back into the bathroom. The door clicked shut again, the sound echoing like a pulled gun trigger without a bullet.

  “You okay?” Liam’s dark voice surrounded her, and coiled inside her like a hurricane. As if he didn’t have a care in the world, he took his hat off and placed it on the counter to their left. His hair was creased, but he didn’t seem to care.

  “Yes. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” She tried to move past him but his steely strength held her in place.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re trying to avoid me, Cora.”

  Cora slammed her eyes closed and swallowed thickly. She knew the cat-and-mouse game he played. And knowledge was power, right?

  “My kids—“

  “Are fine. I checked on them before I came to find you.”

  Cora glared at his solid black t-shirt and all the muscles competing for domination. They rippled as he moved across the room to the tub and sat down, his long legs stretching out and crossing at the ankles.

  “Nothing’s changed, Liam,” she warned. If only she had the power to walk out…

  And it was then her gaze collided with his. She’d avoided looking into those green eyes for a reason. Only the reason eluded her at present. He was beautiful.

  He gave her a slow once-over that told her he was fully aware of the direction her wandering thoughts took. In fact, their thoughts were walking hand-in-hand.

  “Whatcha thinkin’?” he asked.

  “I’m still too old for you.”

  He raised his arms in frustration then slapped his palms against his thighs. “You’re giving me a complex, Cor. I mean, most women your age would love to have a guy like me chasing after them.”

  Immediately, she glowered. “You listen to me, Liam Hartman, I—“

  His hands came up at the same time he chuckled, low and dark. “Relax, will ya? It was a joke.”

  “I hate those jokes,” she said helplessly, her shoulders slumping despite her amusement.

  Liam stood and took her hands in his, his skin warm and a little rough. “I’m sorry.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  He sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m not.”

  They stood looking at each other, his face deadpan, and finally they laughed.

  “You’re terrible,” Cora said, gently extracting her hand from his.

  “You like it, or you wouldn’t keep running from me.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  He moved in so his mouth was just a whisper away from her skin, his breath burning a hot trail on her neck. “Go out with me,�
�� he murmured. His fingertips brushed her hips as lightly as a butterfly wing, but she felt it down to her bones.

  “I told you nothing’s changed, Liam. I’m not going out with you. You’ve asked before and you got the same answer.”

  “Just once. If I’m so terrible, then you never have to do it again.”

  “We’re practically family,” she cried, turning to face him. “We’re both at the same family reunion!”

  “We’re not related, Cora, and you know that. I’m the ugly stepson of your third cousin.”

  “It’s still bizarre,” she insisted, taking a deep breath to clear her mind.

  “The only bizarre thing I see is you, fighting me on something you clearly want.”

  “Clearly, huh?” She chuckled nervously and turned to leave, but in a flash, she faced his chest again and was pinned by his body against the bathroom door.

  “Go out with me.” The persuasion in his gravelly voice left no room for argument.

  The only way he’d ever get the message is if she stood up to him and did it with authority. She was, after all, almost old enough to be his mother.

  “No, Liam.” Her wilted voice fell pathetically short of powerful. She took another deep breath and charged ahead. “It’s not going to happen. You need to accept that.” She met his sharp gaze head on, even felt her serious brow rise as she looked at him. But her heart fluttered when his full lips curled into a breathtaking smile. His green eyes danced with mischief.

  “You’re caving. I can feel it.”

  “You’re delusional.”

  “Delusional? No. Horny? Always.”

  “See? You’re not serious about this. I have kids, Liam. I can’t just sleep around.”

  “Hey, I’m a guy. Sex and relationships are pretty much the same thing in our minds,” he said with a shrug.

  Cora shook her head. “It would be too much work.”

  There was that smile again. “I wouldn’t want to be too easy.”

  She turned away as her face heated.

  “You’re hot when you’re frustrated.” His lips were so close.

  With a frustrated sigh, Cora closed her eyes, trying to figure out a way to escape him without doing bodily harm. Judging by his hard body and her squishy one, the odds weren’t in her favor.

  Even as the thought came to her, wet, sweet lips rested against hers. For a moment, time stood still. She was young and beautiful again. And wanted. He definitely wanted her.

  His palm framed her face, his thumb tracing her jawline. She tried her best to wiggle away, but his arm snaked around her waist and dragged her to him. Her mouth opened on a gasp, and Liam took full advantage. It was the first time she’d kissed another man other than her husband. Everything felt different, right down to the softness of Liam’s skin.

  Liam wore a subtle and masculine scent. Sam had loved his fruity aftershave a little too much. Liam’s stubble made her feel like she was kissing a real man. Sam hadn’t had much facial hair and kept it shaved close so his skin was ultra smooth.

  Liam tasted different. His kiss was sweet and warm. A perfected art form, where Sam’s had been sloppy and lusty and never controlled.

  She’d thought about this moment with Liam for so long. It was too soon. Was she ready to ruin the fantasy? Wasn’t fantasy always better than reality?

  Being in his arms was so much better than a fantasy.

  Tentatively, her tongue touched his. Nothing could prepare her for the assault on her senses. Without her approval, her arms came up around his shoulders. Her fingers speared through his hair, her mouth accepting his.

  Liam’s feral groan pierced through her, slowing the blood in her veins to a delicious crawl. His large body pressed against hers so close she didn’t know where he ended and she began. Her heart beat so erratically he was sure to feel it underneath his palm.

  For an enchanting second, she allowed herself to enjoy his kiss. It took her back to a time best forgotten, when the world had been at her feet, and she’d taken the wrong path. Back when she was still beautiful and thin and young and didn’t have dangling skeletons in her closet.

  Was she ready? Could she move on with someone so young? Could they possibly have the same life goals with the age difference?

  What about her divorce? Sam’s betrayal still felt so raw, even a year later. Time had stood still in her mind, yet the world around her marched on. She struggled daily just to get out of bed. Cora told herself every day things would get better. Eventually. Now she just wondered when.

  Cora remembered the first time she’d met the adult Liam. As part of her extended family, she’d known about him for years, but was rarely around him. At some point, during his early college years they’d run into each other while Cora was out with some girlfriends.

  She’d realized it was Liam only after he’d un-velcroed himself from a busty brunette to come over and say hi. Judging by the harem of women surrounding him that night, there was no lack of options from which he could choose.

  So, why her? Why now?

  Tearing her mouth from his, Cora tried to catch her breath. She turned her head to the side when he tried to recapture the moment.

  “I can’t. This isn’t right.”

  “Certainly felt right to me.”

  “You’re just…” She looked away. The weight of the moment ate at her. “You’re too… you. It’s too soon, we have nothing in common, and I’m too old.”

  Liam pushed away, his eyes flashing. “This is ridiculous, Cora. The only person in this room bothered by your age is you.”

  “You know it’s more than just my age.”

  “Then it’s me?”

  He was so serious, she could cry. Every inch of him was amazing.

  “It’s a lot of things. My age, your age, my kids. Me.”

  His glare burned into hers. “I’m not Sam.”

  “I know that,” she whimpered a little desperately. That was exactly what she feared most.

  “Am I getting too close to the real reason here, Cora? Because you can’t kiss me like that and then tell me we can’t at least try to figure this out.”

  “You kissed me.” Now she was becoming petulant. What was next, plug her ears so she couldn’t listen to reason? Sometimes she surprised herself how very childish she could be when she was the oldest in the room.

  Liam grabbed her shoulders, bending down so they were eye to eye. “Just be honest. Do you feel anything for me? Am I wasting my time? I’ll wait for you if I have to, Cor. You’re worth it.”

  Wasn’t that the whole problem? A guy just starting to live his life shouldn’t have to wait. He should be out doing all the stuff he wanted to do now, not later.

  “Answer me. Do you feel anything?”

  Cora stood up a little straighter and lifted her chin a little higher. Authority, she reminded herself. She might—no, she would—regret this later. But for now, it was the only option, even though it left her hollow inside. “No, Liam. I don’t feel anything for you.”

  It was his turn to stand up straight and drop his hands from her shoulders. He narrowed his eyes, studying her. His chiseled jaw ticked. His long lashes dropped as his gaze raked up and down her body. His face went curiously blank and his jaw stopped ticking.

  The silence was deafening.

  Liam nodded once, reached past her to grab his hat, and left.

  ****

  Liar, liar pants on fire, he thought bitterly.

  The little vixen believed she had him fooled, but Liam had news for her. He didn’t give up easily. He might not have children or fifteen years of marriage behind him to dictate his future, but he knew what he wanted. And he wanted Cora.

  He said his goodbyes to the family and left the reunion. The only reason he’d attended was to see her, anyway.

  On the drive home, he let the windows down to feel the spring breeze. He needed to cool off. Kissing Cora had left a simmering want he’d never felt before. And after that kiss, he wanted more than he cared to admit. It hadn’t
been exactly as he’d envisioned their first kiss together.

  It was so much better.

  Cora had such a passion inside her that was almost a living entity. Her blue eyes told him everything he needed to know about her. They betrayed her true feelings. Her words were fiery, her body language standoffish and no one had gotten close to her emotionally since Sam had slept with some slut on her birthday. He’d never liked the guy anyway. Not when he was younger, not now.

  So the question remained, how could he break through the walls she’d built and show her he wasn’t like Sam? Nine years between them was nothing, at least in his mind. They were consenting adults and whoever or whatever tried to argue she was too old for him, he’d tell them how he really felt.

  He’d tell them how he thought of her all the time. How much he loved her children. Why he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. The memories they’d make while they spent those years together. Liam wanted forever with her. Forever with the woman who’d stolen his heart when he’d found her crying in her car in a Kroger parking lot.

  Liam doubted she remembered all she’d said to him as he’d held her awkwardly over the console of her mini van. Her world was crumbling down around her, and she’d told him what Sam had done, all the pieces of his betrayal suddenly falling into place for her. All the confidence she’d managed to find since her father abandoned her as a teenager, shattered in the blink of an eye. All because Sam couldn’t keep it in his pants. What an idiot.

  As he pulled into the driveway of his ranch, Liam sat for a moment with his headlights shining out into the pasture. Several of his horses grazed. He loved ranch life and this was all his. His inheritance from his father’s death. A soft neigh from across the field met his ears.

  A mockingbird sang in the tree to his left, and he sighed. Life was good.

  He might not be able to get through to Cora right now, but one thing was certain. Whatever doubt he’d had about the two of them together had disappeared the second he’d kissed her.

  Cora was it.

  Chapter Two

  “Ashton and Aldin, get down here this instant! It’s almost time for the bus. Last week of school!” Cora called up the stairwell. After a second, her twin nine-year-olds came pummeling down the stairs, backpacks bouncing against their rears and pencils rattling in their cases.